The All-Russian Student Olympiad “I am a Professional” is a major multidisciplinary Olympiad for students from all over the world pursuing Bachelor’s, Specialist’s and Master’s programs as well as basic and specialized higher education programs at Russian universities. It is implemented as part of the Russia – Land of Opportunities federal project of the Youth and Children national project with support from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation.
Participation in the “I am a Professional” Olympiad is a unique opportunity to show oneself and demonstrate a high level of knowledge in a particular field as well as get a job at the best Russian companies.
- > 1.4 million participants
- > 100,000 diploma winners
- > 3,500 medalists
The Olympiad is held in the following fields of study:
- Agro-Industrial Complex and Food Technologies
- Weapons and Military Equipment
- Natural Sciences
- Engineering Sciences and Technologies
- Arts and Humanities
- Computer Sciences
- Medicine and Healthcare
- Pedagogical Sciences
- Social and Economic Sciences
- Physical Culture
Prizes for the best participants
- Diplomas that make you eligible for benefits when applying to the leading Russian universities
- Internships at major Russian companies (for senior students)
- Cash awards for the best participants — medalists
- The Olympiad participants gain access to internships and job openings at the Olympiad’s partner companies, HR specialists’ consultations (for diploma winners and participants of the final stage of the Olympiad who scored more than zero), online events, and company tours.
Olympiad organizers
The Olympiad is organized by the Association of Organizers of Student Olympiads “I am a Professional”, the Land of Opportunity autonomous non-profit organization, the Russian Association of Employers “Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs,” and 33 top universities. The title partners of the Olympiad are Sberbank, Rosatom State Corporation, TMK, Gazpombank, Polyus, Nornickel, Alfa-Bank, Russian Railways, AI Alliance, VTB Bank, Yandex.
“I am a Professional” Olympiad Will Help Hone Skills and Establish Contacts
If you study at a Russian university and want to show yourself as a highly qualified specialist, the All-Russian Student Olympiad “I am a Professional” is exactly what you need. Participation in the Olympiad will help you test your knowledge in a particular field, get benefits when applying for Master’s, PhD and residency programs at leading Russian universities as well as undertake an internship at a major specialized company that can become an excellent start for your career.
Today the guest of our HED_people column is the participant of the “I am a Professional” Olympiad, Md Mustakim Bin Alam from Bangladesh, a second-year Bachelor's student at the Faculty of Physics of Novosibirsk State University. He talks about his passion for physics and shares his impressions of his participation in the Olympiad as well as secrets of his success.
Md Mustakim Bin Alam, a second-year Bachelor's student at the Faculty of Physics of Novosibirsk State University, a prize-winner of the International Astronomy and Astrophysics Competition (IAAC), a participant of the All-Russian Student Olympiad “I am a Professional”
My Vocation is Physics
I was born in Bangladesh, but I went to study in Russia. In 2021, I received a state scholarship to study at Novosibirsk State University. Now I am a second-year Bachelor’s student at the Faculty of Physics. I like reading scientific articles on astronomy and collecting old coins, stamps, and genuine stones.
I have always been passionate about physics and wanted to make the most of opportunities. In 2022, I took part in the International Astronomy and Astrophysics Competition (IAAC) and became the national winner from Russia, getting a silver medal. In 2024, I tested my knowledge at IAAC again and won a silver medal. The same year, I received a national award of the winner from Russia at IYMC.
Platform for Winning Recognition
I always try to find out about Olympiads to participate in. I used to take part in international Olympiads, but, when I came to Russia, I wanted to compete with students from local universities. I hadn't heard about any all-Russian projects for Bachelor's students. My search led to my subscription to a thematic newsletter. That’s how I found out about the opportunity to take part in the “I am a Professional” Olympiad and got a motivation boost.
When I found out about the “I am Professional” Olympiad, I suffered from lack of self-confidence and impostor syndrome in the beginning. But I coped with them by doing self-analysis. I set achievable goals, made up my mind to participate, and didn't regret it. The Olympiad played a significant role in my professional development, becoming a platform for honing professional skills, winning recognition and making valuable contacts. I learned to think critically and solve complex problems and improved my subject competence — all of these are important qualities for any profession. And my participation experience considerably enhanced my resume and opened the doors to the opportunities to network with the leaders of the industry and colleagues.
As I am an international student, this is a great opportunity for me to strengthen my position and achieve success. It is my privilege to do something for my university and Russia.
Staying Focused
During the preparation process, there were some funny moments as well. One day, we decided to put the law of conservation of momentum to the test. We conducted a simple experiment with rolling a ball on an even surface. We used a trolley and several balls of different size and weight to demonstrate how the change of mass affects the system's motion. Everything was going smoothly until one of us suggested speeding up the process — instead of just rolling the balls on the trolley, he decided to throw a big ball right at the trolley! We thought it would be a great idea to show a collision effect. And, when the ball was flying right towards the trolley, somebody miscalculated the angle, and the ball jumped aside… right at the stack of beakers standing outside the experiment area! The glass broke with a loud noise, and everybody stood still for a moment. Fortunately, nobody was hurt, but it was a serious blow to our focus.
Keeping Balance and Being in the Picture
Efficient time management and boundaries establishment help keep balance. To be in the picture in the rapidly changing industry, we must study on an ongoing basis. I have achieved that with the help of courses, workshops and online communities. No matter what obstacles might be in our way, overcoming them builds a path to success.
13.06.2025
